Legacy 113: Hospital Haunting
by Dozo14
Summary: As Chris works a night shift at the hospital, a ghost targets one of the young patients. Things get complicated when Chris has to keep his secret from an attractive new nurse. Meanwhile, Chris ponders his future.
1. Chapter 1

Legacy 113: Hospital Haunting

Xxx

Late in the evening, Chris Halliwell arrived at the San Francisco Memorial hospital for a night shift. He had been working there as an orderly for a few years now. Aside from the fact that he liked helping people, the flexible hours also allowed him to deal with magical emergencies without getting fired. It was the perfect job for the time being. After clocking in, Chris headed to the changing room. As he did, he ran into another orderly named Jared, who had just ended his shift.

"Hey Chris, another graveyard shift?" Jared asked.

"I don't mind." Chris replied. "How are things around here?"

"It's pretty quiet so far, but San Francisco is a crazy place." Jared said.

"Tell me about it." Chris remarked with a smile.

"Anyway, you'll have plenty of distraction tonight." Jared said. "See you later."

Jared headed out, leaving Chris to wonder what he meant. He shrugged it off and entered the changing room. When he entered, he saw there was someone else in the room. Her name was Sarah, a blonde nurse who had started working in the hospital a few weeks ago. Apparently, she had just started to change, as she was standing before him in jeans and a pink lacy bra. Chris instantly realized what Jared meant, as Sarah was undoubtedly a beautiful distraction.

The changing rooms in the hospital were all co-ed for practical reasons. The hospital probably reasoned that anyone working in healthcare should be used to seeing people undressed. It could still get a little awkward at times, though, like at this very moment. Sarah was a beautiful young woman with a slender figure. It was impossible not to look, as she was directly in front of him.

"Uh… Hey." Chris said sheepishly.

"Hi." Sarah replied.

Trying not to stare at her too long, Chris quickly headed to his own locker and grabbed his stuff. They both continued to change into their scrubs. Chris first changed his pants and then took off his shirt. He stuffed his clothes in his locker and grabbed his scrubs from the bench.

"It's Chris, right?" Sarah asked.

Chris turned to her and saw she was finishing up tying her shoes. "Yeah." He replied.

"I saw your name on the schedule. We're both on pediatrics tonight." Sarah said as she walked over and held out her hand. "I don't think we've worked a shift together. I'm Sarah."

"Nice to meet you." Chris replied as he shook her hand.

"Well, I look forward to working with you." Sarah said with a smile and her eyes quickly glanced over his bare torso. "See you in a bit."

"Sure." Chris replied.

Sarah left the changing room and Chris put on his scrubs. Did she just check him out, or was she just messing with him because she caught him staring before? He didn't really have to think about it, as his shift was about to start.

It was always busy at the hospital in the evening, but things slowed down considerably at night, meaning only a few staff members were present. After few hours after his shift started, Chris brought a teenaged patient back to his room after an exam. He then overheard a mother saying goodbye to her daughter in the next room. The girl was about eight and had been admitted after breaking her leg falling down the stairs.

"I have to go now, sweetie." The mother said. "Your daddy and brother are waiting for me at home."

"No, mommy, I don't like it here." the girl said tearfully. "I'm scared."

"Oh, Kayla, there is nothing to be scared off." The mother said. "It is just one more night and then I can take you home. The doctor said so."

"But mommy, what if the scary girl comes back?" Kayla whispered.

"What are you talking about?" the mother asked with a frown.

"She was in my room." Kayla said. "She was in the corner staring at me. I think she was mad. Then she walked through the wall."

"Oh sweetie." The mother said with a relieved smile. "Then it was just a dream. People can't walk through walls."

"But…" Kayla started.

"No buts." The mother replied. "I really have to go now. Daddy is coming to visit you first thing in the morning and then I'll pick you up in the afternoon."

Kayla started to protest again, but the mother kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Kayla buried herself under the sheets. When the mother noticed Chris, she walked up to him.

"Are you working tonight?" the mother asked.

"Yeah, I'll be here all night." Chris replied.

"Good, could you please check in on my daughter once in a while?" the mother asked. "She is just a little homesick I think."

"Sure, I'll keep an eye on her." Chris said.

"Thank you." The mother replied.

Chris waited as the mother got on the elevator and left. He headed to Kayla's room and knocked on the door. When she didn't respond, Chris moved closer.

"Kayla?" Chris asked.

"Who are you?" Kayla asked from under the sheets.

"I'm Chris. I work here." Chris replied.

Kayla poked her head out of the sheets and looked at Chris. "Are you a doctor?" she asked as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.

"No, not quite." Chris replied. "But I help the doctors and nurses here. Your mom asked me to keep an eye on you. I heard you say something about a girl?"

"She is really scary." Kayla said as she glanced at the corner of the room. "She comes out at night and stares at me. I think she is angry."

"Angry about what?" Chris asked.

"I don't know." Kayla replied.

"Has she said anything?" Chris asked.

"No, she just stands there, and then she goes through the wall." Kayla said. "I feel cold when I see her. I can see my breath."

Chris frowned. At first, he thought the mother was right and it was just a bad dream. Now he was starting to doubt it. This girl could walk through walls and the room got colder when she was there? That almost sounded like a ghost. He shook his head. Maybe he was just thinking about magic too much. He shouldn't jump to conclusions.

"That does sound scary, Kayla." Chris said in an attempt to comfort her. "But like your mom said, it is probably just a dream."

"What if she comes back?" Kayla asked.

"She probably won't." Chris said and he grabbed the alarm button. "But if she does, all you have to do is press this button and someone will come in, so you won't be alone."

"Will you come?" Kayla asked. "I think the girl would be scared of you."

"Why do you think that?" Chris asked.

"I don't know." Kayla replied. "I just think she will be. So will you come?"

"Sure." Chris said with a smile. "I'll be there."

Kayla smiled, feeling comforted. It looked like she was able to go to sleep now. There was a knock on the door and Chris turned around. Sarah was standing in the door opening. He wasn't sure how long she had been there, or how much she had overheard.

"Sorry to interrupt." Sarah said. "But I think it is way past bedtime for this little lady."

"I think you're right." Chris said. "Sleep tight, Kayla, and remember the button."

Kayla smiled and held onto the button as Chris handed it to her. He got up and left the room, closing the door behind him. When he did, he noticed Sarah smiling at him.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing." Sarah replied. "I just overheard and you sounded very sweet, comforting her like that. What was she scared of?"

"Probably nothing." Chris said. "Just a bad dream."

"Good." Sarah replied. "I was looking for you. It's break time and I figured we could get some coffee from downstairs. The coffee on this floor sucks."

"Sounds good." Chris said.

Chris and Sarah headed downstairs and grabbed some coffee. As they walked, Sarah told Chris about a teenage patient that was just admitted after being found wandering the street hallucinating. Apparently, it was because of a new drug called pixie dust, which was popular among high school kids. Sarah explained that there had been multiple incidents already.

After getting the coffee, they went back to the pediatrics floor and sat down in the employee lounge. Since it was night, there was nobody else there. As they were alone, Chris decided that he wanted to get to know Sarah a little better. It had been a while since he had dated anyone, and he thought he had picked up on some signals.

"So how are you liking the hospital so far?" Chris asked.

"I'm starting to get used to it." Sarah replied. "I just moved here from LA, so it was a fresh start in every sense of the word. I've barely gotten a chance to explore the city, as work has kept me busy."

"Sounds like you need some time off." Chris said.

"Oh, no, I wasn't complaining or anything." Sarah quickly said. "I love my job. I wouldn't trade it for anything. But a little free time once in a while wouldn't hurt."

"I get it." Chris replied. "So… did you move to San Francisco on your own?"

"Yeah. Like I said. I needed a fresh start." Sarah said.

"So… no boyfriend or anything?" Chris asked carefully.

"No, that was the reason I needed a fresh start in the first place." Sarah replied. "Just got out of a messy relationship."

"Right." Chris said. It obviously sounded like she wasn't ready to date anyone new.

"What about you?" Sarah asked.

"No, I'm single." Chris quickly said. "No girlfriend, nothing. At all."

That maybe came out a little too eager, though Sarah smiled for a moment. There was a silence as both of them took a sip of their coffee. Chris was wondering if he should ask her out, offer to show her around the city. He was about to ask her when the patient alarm went off. Sarah checked her pager.

"It's Kayla's room." Sarah said.

"Let's go." Chris replied.

Both of them got up and headed down the hall. When they heard a scream, they began running. As they entered the room, Kayla was sitting in bed with the sheets wrapped around her. Her eyes were squinted shut and she kept pressing the alarm button. The room was freezing.

"Kayla, sweetie, what is wrong?" Sarah asked as she went to comfort her. "God, it's freezing in here."

Without opening her eyes, Kayla pointed at the corner. When Chris turned, he was shocked to see a little girl standing there. She was dressed in a hospital gown and looked pale, with blond hair and dark circles around her eyes. When she noticed Chris staring at her, she screamed and disappeared through white wisps. Chris sighed as he realized that Kayla was not dreaming after all, she was being haunted.

Xxx

As Sarah tried to calm Kayla and get her back to sleep, Chris stood outside of her room, wondering what to do. Ghosts didn't appear for no reason, so there had to be something the little girl wanted. Perhaps she was stuck, unable to move on. That could be why she seemed so angry. Chris needed to try to communicate with her, but he needed to be careful. Sarah had no idea about the ghost, and he didn't want her to think he was crazy or something.

"I calmed her down a little." Sarah said as she left the room. "But she is asking for you."

"Why?" Chris asked. "What did she say?"

"She is scared." Sarah replied. "I think it was just a dream, but I couldn't convince her. She seems to like you, Chris. Maybe you can get her back to sleep."

"I'll try." Chris said.

"Good, I…" Sarah started to say, but then her pager went off again. "Great." She said as she looked at it. "I need to check on that drug patient. Are you okay here?"

"I'm fine." Chris replied. "I'll handle things here."

Sarah nodded and headed to another hallway. Chris waited until she was gone and then went into Kayla's room. She was hiding under the covers again, so he sat down on the bed.

"Is she gone?" Kayla asked from under the sheets.

"Who, Sarah?" Chris asked.

"No, the little girl." Kayla replied. "You saw her, didn't you? She went away when you came in. You believe me, right?"

"I saw her." Chris admitted. "But it has to be our little secret, okay?"

"Why?" Kayla asked as she poked her head out from under the covers.

"Because that little girl is a ghost." Chris said. "And we're the only ones who can see her. Other people can't."

"Why can you see her and other people can't?" Kayla asked.

"Because I have magic." Chris said.

"Really?" Kayla asked as her eyed widened. "Can I see?"

"Alright, let me think." Chris replied as he looked around the room. He spotted a stuffed animal lying on a chair. It looked like a purple penguin. "See that stuffed animal?"

"That's Poppy." Kayla said. "She is my favorite."

"Keep your eyes on Poppy." Chris replied.

Chris held out his hand and telekinetically lifted Poppy off the chair. Kayla watched in amazement as he made the stuffed animal fly across the room and land in her arms.

"That is so cool." Kayla said.

"That's magic." Chris explained. "Like the little girl, she is magical too."

"Why is she mad at me?" Kayla asked. "She seems really angry."

"Well, I don't think she is mad at you." Chris replied. "I think she is just lost and scared. I think she really wants to go home, just like you."

"Where is her home?" Kayla asked.

"I don't know." Chris replied. "That is why we have to help her find it. Did she say anything?"

"No." Kayla said. "She just stands there and she keeps coming closer. It gets colder every time."

"Do you know where she goes when she leaves?" Chris asked.

"She walks through the wall over there!" Kayla said as she pointed.

"Alright, I'm going to go take a look. See if I can talk to her." Chris replied.

"No." Kayla said as she grabbed his arm. "Please don't leave."

"I won't go far." Chris said. "We want to help her, remember? In order to do that, I have to find her first."

"Okay, as long as you don't go far." Kayla said reluctantly.

"I will be right back." Chris promised.

Chris got up and Kayla hid herself under the covers again while clutching onto Poppy. Chris headed out into the hall and closed the door. He walked down the hall. He needed to find out more about this ghost, so he needed to talk to her. Although he had told Kayla that she was just lost and scared, the ghost did seem really angry. Also, he didn't like how she had pointed at Kayla. He needed to make sure that she wasn't an evil spirit.

"Hello?" Chris called out softly. "I know you're out here somewhere. I just want to talk."

As Chris continued walking down the hall, he suddenly felt a drop in temperature as he passed an empty room. He went inside and looked around. He could see his breath due to the cold.

"Are you here?" Chris asked. "Show yourself."

"Who are you?" A girlish voice sounded.

Chris spun around and saw the ghost standing in the door opening behind him. Now that he got a better look at her, he could see she was about nine or ten. Her skin was sickly pale and she had dark circles around her eyes. The hospital gown she wore looked like an old model. The hospital had replaced those years ago.

"My name is Chris." Chris said. "I want to help you."

"How come you can see me?" the ghost asked. "Most people can't."

"I'm a witch." Chris replied. "What is your name?"

"I don't want to tell." The ghost said.

"If you do, I might be able to help you." Chris replied. "You want to leave, right? To find peace and move on."

"No, I don't want that." The ghost said angrily as she wisped away and reappeared in front of the window. "I want to go home."

"I'm sorry, I don't think that is possible." Chris said carefully. "Do you know what you are? What happened to you?"

"I'm nine, not stupid." The ghost said as she turned to him. "I'm dead."

"Then you know that you can't go back." Chris replied.

"Yes, I can." The ghost said determined. "I found a way."

"How?" Chris asked.

"Through her." The ghost said. "I will become her and live again."

"You can't do that." Chris replied. "She is an innocent. I want to help you, but you can't harm Kayla."

"You can't stop me!" The ghost replied angrily, causing the window behind her to freeze over. "Stay out of this!"

The ghost girl screamed and held out her hands. Chris was thrown back into the hall by an invisible force and hit the wall. When he looked up, the ghost had disappeared.

"Great, angry Casper has some power." Chris remarked.

Concerned for Kayla, Chris got up and ran back to her room. He was relieved to see she had fallen asleep with her stuffed animal in her arms. Chris felt sorry for the ghost girl, but he could not let her take Kayla. He needed to find a way to let her cross over peacefully, or else he would have no choice but to vanquish her. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.

xxx


	2. Chapter 2

Legacy 113: Hospital Haunting

Part 2

Xxx

A little while later, Chris was sitting at the nurse's desk outside of Kayla's room. He figured that the best way to find information about this ghost was in the hospital records. She had to have died in the hospital, which was why she was unable to leave. If he could help her move on peacefully, she would have no reason to go after Kayla. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anything so far. Lost in thought, he was startled when the elevator door opened, though it was only Sarah.

"How are things up here?" Sarah asked.

"They're good." Chris replied. "Everything is quiet."

"Good." Sarah said. "So what are you doing at the nurse's desk?"

Chris hesitated. As an orderly, he actually wasn't allowed to access these files. "Sorry." He quickly said. "I sometimes use the computer to check out some interesting cases and stuff. I know I'm not supposed to…"

"It's alright, I'm not going to report you." Sarah said. "Maybe you should be sitting there anyway."

"What do you mean?" Chris asked confused.

"Well…" Sarah said. "You're really good with patients and you seem like a smart guy. I've heard other nurses talking about you as well. They think you have potential, and we could use more men on the nursing team."

"You think I should be a nurse?" Chris asked.

"Oh, don't get me wrong." Sarah quickly said. "I don't want to belittle the job of an orderly. They work hard and don't get the respect they deserve. It's just, I don't really know you, but I get the sense that you could do more."

"Maybe." Chris replied. "I have a lot of other responsibilities, though. Outside of work."

"Okay, I get it." Sarah said. "I don't want to pry. So can I help you find something?"

"No, not really." Chris replied. "I was just going through some old files. I should get back to work. Can you watch Kayla for a while?"

"Sure, no problem." Sarah said. "I have to write some reports anyway."

Chris nodded and wanted to walk away. He thought about what Sarah said, about him being a nurse. It was something he had never really considered before. He had a college degree, so he could probably get into the training program. Being an orderly was decent work, but it felt like a dead end at times. He hadn't thought much about the future, but he knew he wasn't going to do this forever. He stopped and turned around.

"You said the other nurses talk about me." Chris said. "What do they say?"

"They said the same thing I did. That you would make a good nurse." Sarah replied. "Most of the time, though, they just talk about how cute your ass looks in scrubs."

"That's… really encouraging." Chris said awkwardly. "I have to go."

"Alright, see you later." Sarah replied, smiling at his obvious discomfort.

Chris walked away and headed to a supply closet. He needed some privacy for what he was going to do next. If he couldn't find answers the conventional way, he would just have to use magic. Chris held out his arms and closed his eyes. He focused on the thing he needed. In a swirl of orbs, the old spirit board from the manor appeared in his hands.

"Alright, little girl." Chris said. "Let's have another chat."

Chris sat down with the spirit board and crossed his legs. He remembered how he used to play this game with Wyatt. He was pretty sure that Wyatt moved the pointer to freak him out. Their mom became furious when she found out, as she didn't want them to attract the attention of evil spirits. Back then, it seemed she was overreacting. Now he knew she had been right.

" _Unknown spirit, I call to thee_." Chris chanted as he placed his hands on the pointer. " _Commune with me, so I may set you free_."

Chris felt a slight chill in the air. "Are you there?" Chris asked, causing the pointer to move to yes on the board. "Can you tell me your name?"

The pointer trembled in his hand and began moving over the board. As part of the enchantment placed on the board, spirits would often be compelled to answer, even if they were reluctant otherwise. Eventually, the letters spelled out the name Holly Wilson.

"Holly, I am trying to help you." Chris said. "I can help you find peace and cross over, but you can't hurt Kayla."

The pointer under his hands began to tremble and suddenly flew out of his hands, hitting the wall. Chris felt the temperature drop and he could see his breath. The ghost girl, Holly, angrily appeared before him in white wisps.

"Leave me alone!" Holly snapped at him. "She is mine."

"I can't do that Holly." Chris replied. "The dead cannot take the place of the living. You're smart, you should know that is true. Just let me help you another way."

"Why does she deserve to live and not me?" Holly asked.

"I don't know." Chris replied. "But you can't have her."

"You are not the boss of me." Holly said.

"Don't do this, Holly." Chris replied. "We can solve this peacefully, but if you hurt her…"

"You don't scare me." Holly said. "Leave me alone, or I will hurt others. Like Sarah. I know you like her."

"Leave her out of this." Chris said angrily.

"Just stay out of my way!" Holly screamed.

Everything in the supply close started to tremble as the ghost screamed, while the darkness around her eyes increased, giving her a skeletal appearance. When the racks came crashing down, Chris was buried in medical supplies. When Chris managed to free himself, he looked around and saw the ghost had disappeared. After being slammed against the wall earlier and now being buried under supplies, Chris was getting bruised and really annoyed.

"Great, now I have to clean up as well." Chris remarked as he rolled his eyes.

Xxx

As Chris followed the usual routine of the night shift, he tried to come up with a plan. There were two ways he knew to vanquish a ghost. The first was to pour a potion on the remains, the second was to cast a vanquishing spell. The problem with the spell, however, was that the caster needed to a ghost as well. Chris decided that the second option would be a last resort. Now that he knew her name was Holly Wilson, Chris could find her file and see what happened to her. There was still a chance she would move on peacefully if he helped her accept her death. Her file would also state what happened to her remains, should it come to that.

When Chris returned to the nurse's desk, he looked across the hall and saw Kayla was still asleep. Sarah was working at the computer. He liked how cute she looked, twirling her hair in her fingers while chewing on a pen. She was obviously thinking about something other than work.

"Lost in thought?" Chris asked.

"Oh, hey." Sarah said surprised as she noticed him. "No, just writing reports. My mind tends to wander while doing paperwork."

"Wander where?" Chris asked.

"Just places." Sarah replied evasively. "I was wondering when you'd be back. I have to do a medicine round. Maybe you could keep me company?"

"I'm like that." Chris said. "But I have my own work and I kind-of want to keep an eye on Kayla just to be sure."

"You really are committed." Sarah said. "Alright, I'll be back in a bit."

Sarah got up from the desk and walked away. Chris waited until she was gone and sat down behind the computer. He opened the patient files and searched for Holly Wilson. A file popped up with a picture. It was definitely her. According to the file, Holly was admitted about ten years ago for appendicitis. Chris scrolled down the file and saw she had surgery, but then large portions of the file were blacked out. The cause of death was unreadable. Someone obviously wanted to keep it hidden.

"What happened to you?" Chris asked.

As Chris stared at the computer, he suddenly felt a drop in temperature. Knowing it could only mean one thing, he looked up and saw Holly standing in Kayla's room. He jumped up and ran over, though Holly held out her hand and blocked the door. Kayla woke up and started screaming when she saw Holly standing in front of her.

"Don't do this, Holly!" Chris called out.

Holly ignored him and rose in the air, hovering over the bed to possess Kayla. Chris took a step back and flung his hand to open the door with telekinesis. When the door flew open, he ran inside. Kayla stopped screaming and Holly turned to Chris.

"Holly, tell me what happened ten years ago." Chris said. "What happened after the surgery?"

"He killed me." Holly said.

"Who?" Chris asked.

"It doesn't matter." Holly replied. "This is my second chance. I get to live again."

Holly floated at Kayla, though Chris held out his hand and pulled the bed away from her. Holly screamed angrily and held out her hand, throwing Chris across the room and pinning him to the wall above the floor. With Chris unable to move, Holly moved toward Kayla again, who screamed for help. At that moment, Sarah came running into the room. Her eyes widened when she saw Chris pinning against the wall.

"Oh my God!" Sarah called out.

"Get Kayla!" Chris said.

Sarah nodded and ran toward Kayla. Holly screamed and teleported in front of her. She held out her hand and Sarah was thrown against the door. Chris was then finally released and landed on the floor. He headed toward Kayla and stood between her and Holly. The ghost girl glared at him and disappeared in wisps. Chris was relieved for about a second, knowing that Kayla was safe. However, his relief quickly faded when he saw Sarah looking at him with a terrified look in her eyes. Chris knew he had a lot of explaining to do.

Xxx

Pacing restlessly, Chris waited by the nurse's desk while Sarah tried to comfort Kayla and put her back to bed. He wondered how he was going to explain all of this. Sarah was obviously freaked out and she had good reason to be, as Holly had thrown her around like a ragdoll. The angrier a spirit was, the more powerful it could get, and Holly was very angry. She said someone had killed her. That was the source of her anger and the key to helping her. Chris needed to find out the truth soon. Time was running out and Holly would be back before the night was over.

"Alright." Sarah said as she left Kayla's room. "I gave her a sedative to help her sleep. Now you need to tell me what the hell is going on before I call security."

"Security can't help." Chris replied. "You saw what happened."

"No, I didn't." Sarah said. "I have no idea what I saw. You were stuck against the wall and I was thrown across the room by… I saw…"

"What did you see?" Chris asked.

"I'm not sure." Sarah replied hesitantly. "Maybe it was just my imagination, but for a second, I could swear I saw a little girl."

"It wasn't your imagination." Chris said. "It was a ghost."

"There is no such thing as ghosts." Sarah replied.

"Then how do you explain what happened?" Chris asked. "I know it's a lot to swallow, but ghosts are very real. Kayla is in danger."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.

"This ghost, Holly, she wants to possess Kayla." Chris said. "She is angry about her death and refuses to move on. She wants Kayla to be her second chance at life."

"How do you know all this?" Sarah asked.

"I… have experience with these sorts of things." Chris replied. "And I'm going to need your help."

"I'm not even sure I believe you." Sarah said. "I'm a nurse, I deal with science and medicine, not the supernatural. There has to be another explanation."

"Like what?" Chris asked.

"Like… mass hallucination." Sarah suggested. "Maybe we accidentally ingested drugs or something, like that patient who was rushed in."

"Sarah, we were both thrown around like ragdolls." Chris replied as he lifted up his shirt to reveal the bruises on his back. "How do you explain this?"

"Hallucinations can bring about violent outbursts." Sarah said.

"You can't rationalize this away, Sarah." Chris replied. "I'll prove it another way. Follow me."

Chris headed to the computer and Sarah followed. He looked up Holly's file and showed the picture to Sarah. If she had seen Holly, she would surely recognize her.

"Oh my God." Sarah said shocked as she touched the screen. "It's her. But she died ten years ago. How could I have seen her?"

"You know why." Chris replied. "She is a spirit trapped here, unable to move on because of an injustice done to her."

"What kind of injustice?" Sarah asked.

"She said someone killed her." Chris replied. "I tried accessing the file earlier, but large parts of it are blacked out. Someone tried to cover something up. I can't even see which doctor performed the surgery."

"That's strange." Sarah said. "The hospital has a policy of total transparency."

"Clearly, not everyone agrees with that." Chris replied.

"I might know how we can find the answers." Sarah said. "This happened ten years ago, right? Back then, the hospital still had hard copies of files. There has to be a paper trail."

"Then we need to get to the archives." Chris said. "So wait, does this mean that you believe me?"

"I haven't decided yet." Sarah replied. "I can't explain everything just yet, but that doesn't mean I believe in the supernatural all of the sudden."

"As long as you don't think I'm crazy." Chris said with a faint smile.

"Like I said, I haven't decided yet." Sarah remarked.

A few minutes later, Chris and Sarah got out of the elevator in the basement level of the hospital. It was the place where the archives were located, along with other storage rooms and the morgue. It was also the only floor had hadn't been renovated in quite a while, giving it an old and creepy feel.

"This place gives me the creeps." Sarah said.

"I get what you mean." Chris replied. "Let's just hurry and get the file."

They entered the archive room and started looking for the file. Although the files were sorted alphabetically and on date of admission, it still took quite some time to find it.

"What did you mean when you said you have experience with these sort of things?" Sarah asked after searching a while.

"I lead a strange life." Chris replied.

"Is this what you meant when you said you had other responsibilities outside of work?" Sarah asked. "Are you some kind of ghostbuster?"

"You pay a lot of attention to what I say." Chris replied.

"I pay attention to details." Sarah said. "It's why I'm good at my job. Look, I'm involved in this now, so you might as well tell me."

"Do you really want to know?" Chris asked.

"I told you plenty about me, seems only fair you tell me about yourself." Sarah replied.

"Alright." Chris said. "The truth is, ghosts are not the only thing out there. Magic is real and its pretty much all around us. I know all of this because I'm a witch. My entire family is."

"You mean witch as in broomstick and pointy hats?" Sarah asked with a frown. "Because you don't exactly fit that stereotype."

"No, not like that." Chris replied. "My family and I are good witches. We seek to protect innocents from evil beings. Like Kayla."

"I'm still not sure I believe all of this." Sarah said as she crossed her arms. "If you have magic, then prove it."

Chris smiled. Sarah was not easy to convince, since she had a practical mind and was using to relying on evidence rather than faith. Despite what she had seen and heard, he knew she would never fully believe him unless she saw it with her own eyes. To prove he had magic, Chris dematerialized in a column of orbs and reappeared behind her. He then tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh God!" Sarah called out as she spun around. "How did you do that?"

"Magic." Chris replied amused. "Told you."

"This is crazy." Sarah said. "I have about a million questions."

"I know it's a lot to take in." Chris said. "But we need to focus on helping Kayla know, which means finding Holly's file. We can talk later."

"Right." Sarah replied.

As they continued searching for the file, Chris noticed that Sarah kept glancing in his direction. He could see her mind was racing with questions. He wanted to answer them, preferably over a cup of coffee or nice dinner, though he doubted she would still go out with him. Magic tended to be too much to handle for most people. Then again, Sarah was not like most people. She didn't freak out of faint when he orbed. Instead, she seemed more interested in figuring out how it all worked. Chris was happy to be her test subject if she wanted to.

"Found it." Sarah said, snapping Chris out of his fantasy.

"What does it say?" Chris asked.

Sarah opened the file while Chris looked over her shoulder. Apparently, Holly was a foster child. Ten years ago, she was admitted for a severe appendicitis and needed surgery as soon as she was admitted. However, the surgeon who performed the surgery made a mistake, causing an infection. The surgeon had tried to hide his mistake, probably out of fear of losing his job, though he only made it worse. When Holly died, the surgeon admitted everything and was arrested. Seeking to avoid a scandal, the hospital chose to keep it quiet.

"That's horrible." Sarah said as she covered her mouth. "That poor girl."

"Now we know why she is angry." Chris replied. "The surgeon was arrested, but the hospital tried to pretend it never happened."

"Nobody would ask a lot of questions about a foster child." Sarah reasoned. "This is exactly why the new board implemented the new transparency policy. To avoid horrors like this."

"Everyone who was involved has either been fired or has already retired." Chris said as he continued reading the file. "There is nobody left to blame here."

"So why is Holly still here?" Sarah asked. "And why is she after Kayla?"

"Holly never got to live the life she wanted." Chris concluded as he thought about Kayla and her mother saying goodbye. "Kayla has that life. She has the family that Holly never did."

"So she intends to take it." Sarah said. "I feel so bad for her."

"I know, but Kayla is innocent in this." Chris replied. "If Holly takes over, Kayla will suffer her fate."

"So what do we do?" Sarah asked.

"What does the file say about the remains?" Chris asked.

"Since she had no family, she was cremated here." Sarah said. "She never had a funeral."

"So that means there are no remains left." Chris replied. "We could have used them to stop her."

"Do I even want to know?" Sarah asked a little creeped out.

"Probably not." Chris said. "But if we cannot convince Holly to cross over, there is only one option left. I'm going to need your help."

Chris and Sarah started heading for the door, though a sudden cold gush of wind revealed they were not alone. Holly appeared in a stream of wisps. Sarah screamed and grabbed Chris' arm.

"You can see her?" Chris asked.

"I want her to see me." Holly said. "You figured it out, but you still try to stop me. Why don't you want me to be happy?"

"We do, Holly." Chris replied. "But you won't find happiness with Kayla's body. It will be fake. Cross over and you will find real peace."

"I'm sorry, Holly." Sarah said. "Let us help you."

"You don't want to help. You want to stop me." Holly said angrily. "Now I will stop you."

Holly started floating and her eyes darkened until they were almost pitch black, giving her an eerie skeletal appearance. She held out her hands and the lights flickered and shake. The file cabinets started trembling. One by one, they started falling down in a domino effect. Holly flung her arm and Sarah was thrown back into the hall. She screamed as she saw the falling cabinets coming closer.

"You can only save one." Holly said. "You choose."

Holly disappeared in a stream of wisps, probably going after Kayla. Chris turned around. He was tired of playing games with this little girl. She had crossed the line now and had underestimated him. Chris held out his hand and stopped the cabinet that was about to fall on Sarah, giving her enough time to crawl away. He then dropped the cabinet and ran over to her.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked.

"She tried to kill me." Sarah said trembling.

"Yeah, well, her game is not over yet. She is going after Kayla." Chris replied as he grabbed Sarah and orbed away with her.

xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Legacy 113: Hospital Haunting

Part 3

Xxx

Chris and Sarah appeared in Kayla's room in a column of orbs. Chris looked up and saw Holly hovering over the still sleeping Kayla. The room was freezing cold and Holly was reaching out to Kayla, trying to possess her and take her life for herself. Chris held out his hands and called out for Kayla, who appeared in his arms through a swirl of orbs. Holly screamed angrily when her prey disappeared and turned to them.

"Okay, run!" Chris called out.

Sarah opened the door and they began running through the hallway. It did not take long for Holly to start following them. She flung her hand and sent a medicine cart charging in their direction, which Chris barely managed to avoid while carrying Kayla. It crashed against the wall, causing medicine to spill everywhere.

"How do we stop her?" Sarah asked in a panic.

"I have an idea, just follow me." Chris replied.

Chris took a corner and Sarah followed. Once Holly was out of sight, they entered a practice room filled with medical equipment. Chris closed the door and placed Kayla on one of the beds. He ran over to the equipment and grabbed a defibrillator. He knew he had to hurry, as Holly could appear any moment.

"What are you going to do with that?" Sara asked.

"Me? Nothing." Chris replied. "I need you to use it to stop my heart."

"What?!" Sarah called out. "Are you insane?"

"It will only be for a minute or so." Chris said. "Once my spirit leaves my body, I will be able to cast a vanquishing spell. Then you need to restart my heart."

"No, I can't." Sarah argued. "That is way too risky. What if I can't bring you back?"

"I trust you." Chris said. "Besides, this is the only way."

Chris held out the defibrillator to Sarah, who reluctantly accepted it. Chris lied down on the floor and braced himself to die. He looked at Sarah and saw her hands were trembling. He grabbed her hand to comfort her. At that moment, the doors flew open and Holly came floating in. A cold wind followed and the room started to become covered in ice.

"She is mine!" Holly screamed. "You can't keep her from me!"

"Now!" Chris yelled.

"I can't!" Sarah cried out in tears.

"Yes, you can." Chris replied as he squeezed her hand. "I trust you. You can bring me back. Just do it."

Chris let go of Sarah's hand and lied back down as Holly went straight for Kayla. Sarah placed the defibrillator on his chest and closed her eyes. When she activated the device, Chris gasped as he felt a surge of electricity coursing through him. He felt his heart stop and everything went dark. He vaguely heard Sarah scream in the darkness and then there was nothing.

The next moment, there was a flash of light and Chris could feel his spirit rise up from his body. He looked down and saw himself lying on the floor, which was a very strange experience. He then turned and saw Sarah had thrown herself between Holly and Kayla. The ghost was lifting Sarah up from the ground with an invisible force.

"Holly, stop." Chris said.

Holly dropped Sarah and turned to him with a surprised look. "You're like me now." She noted.

"Chris?" Sarah asked confused as she looked around.

"Holly, it's not too late. We can still solve this peacefully." Chris pleaded. "Let me help you, don't force me to vanquish you."

"I'm tired of being alone." Holly said. "It's cold and dark here."

"I understand, but this isn't the way." Chris replied. "There is a light. It will be warm and you will not be alone there."

"No, I want to live!" Holly said determined. "I want her life! I deserve another chance."

Holly's eyes darkened again and she began moving toward Kayla. Chris realized he had no other choice. As tragic as her story was, he could not allow her to take an innocent life. Holly had crossed the line into being a vengeful spirit when she tried to kill Sarah. Her soul had been lonely and scared for too long. It had been corrupted to the point of no return. Reluctantly, Chris closed his eyes and began chanting the spell he remembered from the Book of Shadows.

" _Ashes to ashes, spirit to spirit_

 _Take her soul, banish this evil."_

Chris chanted the spell several times, causing Holly to stop midair. She turned to Chris as the spell took effect and she started to catch fire.

"I only wanted to live." Holly said in tears.

Chris looked at her as she screamed, while her spirit was engulfed in flames and dissipated from this world. He hated having to vanquish her, but at least she would not suffer anymore.

Chris turned his head and looked down at Sarah, who was kneeling next to his body. She looked at the space where Holly had been. Chris wanted to reach down to comfort her, but his hand moved right through her. At that moment, Sarah snapped out of it.

"Chris." Sarah whispered.

Sarah turned and grabbed the defibrillator. She charged it and placed on his chest. His body jolted as she zapped him with electricity, but nothing seemed to happen. Sarah looked at him with a scared look and tried again.

"Oh crap." Chris remarked when nothing happened again.

"No, no, no." Sarah said in a panic.

Sarah threw away the defibrillator and started administering CPR. Even though she could not hear him, Chris encouraged her to keep going. He was not ready to die yet, and he certainly did not want to haunt this hospital. As Sarah frantically continued, Chris felt his spirit moving back. It was working. There was another flash of light as Chris returned to his body. When Chris opened his eyes, Sarah was just breathing air into his mouth. Her lips were on his and the first thing he tasted was raspberry lip balm. He smiled.

"That's a good way to wake up." Chris mumbled.

"Chris, oh thank God." Sarah said relieved as she pulled away. "I was worried that I'd killed you. You wouldn't wake up and…"

"You did great." Chris replied.

"How are you feeling?" Sarah asked.

"Sore, basically everywhere." Chris replied. "I think you even cracked a rib."

"I'm sorry, I panicked." Sarah said. "So does this mean it's over? I saw Holly disappear in flames."

"Yeah, it's over." Chris replied. "There was no saving her. She was too far gone. It's sad that it have to end like this, but at least Kayla is safe."

"You can't save everyone, Chris." Sarah said. "It's one of the hardest things about this job."

"I know." Chris said.

After a few moments of catching his breath, Sarah helped Chris up and they returned Kayla to her room. After she had been safely put to bed, Sarah took Chris to an exam room and gave him a checkup to see if everything was alright. She was concerned about lingering damage from being clinically dead for a moment, though she eventually gave him a clean bill of health.

"Listen, about what happened tonight…" Chris began to say.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Sarah said. "Nobody would believe me anyway."

"And you're okay with all of this?" Chris asked.

"I don't know." Sarah replied. "I can't answer that right now."

Without saying another word, Sarah walked away, leaving Chris alone in the exam room. He realized that he needed to give her some time. Now that she knew magic was real, she needed to wrap her head around it. Although she handled herself well in a stressful situation, most people would want to distance themselves from it given the chance.

"Well, that date is never going to happen." Chris remarked.

Chris got up and headed back to Kayla's room. His shift was almost over and there was one more thing he needed to do. As he sat in a chair next to her bed, Kayla woke up.

"What happened?" Kayla asked.

"Don't worry, Kayla." Chris replied. "It's over."

"So that girl won't be angry and alone anymore?" Kayla asked. "She won't come after me?"

"No, she won't." Chris replied. "She is no longer stuck here."

"Good." Kayla said. "I knew you would help."

"Kayla, there is one more thing we need to talk about." Chris said. "You know most people don't believe in magic and ghosts, right?"

"Right." Kayla replied.

"Well, this needs to be our little secret." Chris said.

"I know." Kayla said with a nod. "My parents won't believe it anyway. They are boring grownups. I won't tell anyone, I promise."

"Good." Chris replied. "Now I think you and Poppy should get some more sleep. Your dad will come visit you soon and then you'll get to go home."

"Will you stay until I fall asleep?" Kayla asked.

"Sure." Chris replied.

Kayla smiled and hugged her stuffed animal as she closed her eyes. Chris waited until she fell asleep and struggled not to doze off himself. It had been a long night and he was exhausted. He could not wait for this night to be over. His thoughts kept lingering back to Holly. Although he knew she was beyond saving, he still felt like failed her somehow. He knew he could not save everyone, Sarah had told him the same thing, but it still stung.

Xxx

After his shift ended, Chris took a quick shower in the hospital and headed home. He did not run into Sarah again, leading him to think that she was avoiding him. Chris kept thinking about everything that happened, not just with Holly, but also the things Sarah had told him. He wondered if he really could be a nurse. He had been so focused on magic lately that he never stopped to think about his career. It was a good opportunity to learn and challenge himself, though he hesitated. His family needed him as well, with all the threats out there.

When Chris returned to the manor, he entered the kitchen and found Wyatt sitting at the table eating breakfast. "Morning." He said.

"Good morning." Wyatt replied. "You look horrible. Rough night?"

"Pretty much." Chris said.

Chris grabbed some juice from the fridge and sat down. He explained everything that had happened with Holly, Kayla and Sarah in the hospital.

"You idiot." Wyatt said when he was finished. "Why didn't you call me or the others? Little girl or not, you should not take on a vengeful spirit by yourself."

"I thought I could handle it." Chris replied. "And I did, by the way."

"You were lucky." Wyatt remarked as he got up and started cleaning up. "And you'd better hope that the others keep your secret. It was a risk to tell them."

"I did what I thought was best." Chris said.

"I know, I'm sorry. And you did manage to save an innocent, so I guess it will be alright." Wyatt replied. "I should get going. I have a photoshoot in an hour."

"You really like your job, right?" Chris asked as his brother gathered his equipment.

"Of course. I love it." Wyatt replied. "Why else would I do it?"

"Not everyone has their dream job, Wyatt." Chris said. "Sarah suggested I should try to become a nurse. What do you think?"

"Is it something that you want to do?" Wyatt asked.

"I don't know." Chris replied. "I like the challenge and I do want to be able to do more. But it will be more responsibilities and hours at the hospital. What if there is a magical emergency?"

"Dude, listen." Wyatt said firmly. "You have dedicated most of your life to magic. You put your professional and personal life on hold so the rest of us didn't have to. It's time to start thinking about yourself for a change. Forget magic. What do you want?"

"But what…" Chris started to say.

"No buts." Wyatt interrupted him. "Everyone is following their dreams. Prue with her journalism, Penny with the club, the twins in Paris, me and my photography. It's time you do the same. Not too long ago, you said that you needed to stop obsessing about magic."

"You're right." Chris admitted.

"So does that mean you're going to do it?" Wyatt asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Chris replied with a faint smile.

"Good." Wyatt said proudly. "I'm glad my brotherly pep talk worked. So this Sarah girl, do you like her?"

"Does it matter?" Chris asked. "She'll probably never talk to me again."

"I don't know." Wyatt replied. "She sounds like she handled herself pretty well. She might surprise you. See you later."

"Later." Chris replied as Wyatt headed out the kitchen door.

Chris finished his drink and headed upstairs to his bedroom to finally get some sleep. He thought about what Wyatt said. It was true that he had dedicated most of his life to magic. After college, he had never pursued a career to keep his time free for demon hunting. He always felt like it was his true calling, but it also felt like his responsibility. He needed to fulfill that role, so his siblings and cousins wouldn't have to. Not so long ago, he had decided that he needed to stop obsessing about magic so much. Perhaps this was the opportunity to do so.

Xxx

The following evening, Chris had another night shift. He had spent the day tossing and turning in bed to make a decision. Now he had finally made up his mind. He arrived at the hospital a little early to talk to the nurse in charge of the training program. He told her about his decision to apply and she supported his choice. She told him that she had seen his work and had heard the other nurses talking as well. She thought he had potential and gladly welcomed him to the program.

After leaving her office, Chris headed to the changing room to get ready for his shift. He finished getting into his scrubs and took another look at the sign-up papers the nurse had handed him. At that moment, Sarah entered the changing room.

"Hey." Sarah said nervously when she noticed him.

"Hi, how have you been?" Chris asked.

"Hard to tell. I still have some trouble accepting everything that happened." Sarah replied.

"I get it." Chris said. "I'll give you some space."

"No, wait." Sarah said. "I didn't mean… I might not understand everything yet, but you saved a little girl's life. You risked your life for her. That was really brave. I doubt I could ever…"

"Sarah, you help saving lives every day." Chris replied. "You helped me save Kayla, and you didn't need magic to do it. You're the brave one."

"Thanks." Sarah said with a smile. "What do you have there?"

"Papers for the training program." Chris said. "I decided that I want to become a nurse."

"Oh, wow. That is amazing." Sarah said. "I'm happy for you. By the way, I have to give you something."

Sarah headed to her locker and grabbed a piece of paper. She handed it to Chris and he saw it was a drawing from Kayla. She drew a picture of how he had saved her and there were little pink hearts drawn all around them.

"She left it for you when her mom picked her up." Sarah said. "I think she has a little crush."

"That's sweet." Chris said.

"She is not the only one." Sarah said hesitantly. "This whole magic thing is a little scary, but I really enjoyed spending time with you last night. I was hoping we could go out for coffee some time?"

"Yeah, sure." Chris replied. "I thought the magic thing freaked you out."

"I don't freak out easily." Sarah said. "Like I said before, I have a curious nature. And I just can't seem to get you out of my mind."

Sarah leaned in and gently kissed Chris. He dropped the papers in his hands and kissed her back, placing his hands on her face. He had not expected to start his shift like this, but he liked where it was going. With a new job on the horizon and a smart and beautiful woman kissing him, his day suddenly looked a lot brighter.

Xxx

The End

Author's Note: Hey, everyone. I know this chapter was a little on the short side. The next one will be longer and will feature (nearly) all the cousins.


End file.
